The Power of Media

During my freshman year in high school, I wrote a research paper
about the importance of social media in the Arab Spring. In it, I
discussed the use of Twitter, Facebook, and other social media
sites in organizing and campaigning in the revolution. Last
spring, I saw a documentary entitled Blood Brother, at
Sundance London, about an American who ventured to India and
spent his time at an orphanage for children with HIV/AIDS. The
movie conveyed, using a beautiful personal tale and stunning
imagery, the tragedy of HIV/AIDS and the important cultural
differences that one may encounter when immersing themselves in a
new country. Then I found this site, a place where youth come
from all over the world to share their stories, experiences, and
thoughts on important global issues.

What do these three things have in common? They all add up to an
important message that should be stressed more often and more
fervently in our society: the sheer power that rests in media,
and it's use as a tool for social change, and human connection.
These are only a few examples of the importance of media. The
online world is swirling with ideas and impact on influential
networking and artistic sites. By filming, photographing, and
blogging, we are making important strides, and media's part in
these societal strides should not be discredited.

In today's modern era, technological innovation is embarking on
an unprecedented rise. Our globe is interconnected in a way
unlike ever before. Something can happen in far off continents,
oceans away, and be on the tip of your fingers within a seconds
notice. Epidemics and cultural endeavors that we would otherwise
be oblivious to are conveyed strikingly through the use of media.
We live in a truly global world, one in which our different
experiences are now a gateway to exploring both our diversity,
and our wholly human essence. It is through media that we are
able to connect, and it is through media that we can truly
empower ourselves as a united peoples.